Luda Mae usually had Madison in the kitchen with her, helping to cook. The young woman didn't seem the least bit disturbed about what they were cooking, and in fact she confessed to having tried it once before. When Luda Mae had asked if she'd liked it, Madison replied yes, but she'd kept it to herself for fear of being called a lunatic. Luda Mae asked how that situation had come about, that she'd eaten human flesh, and Madison just shrugged, but there was a tight look on her face then; that meant she didn't want to talk about it. So they all dropped it, nobody asked again.

It was mid-morning, and the two were busy cooking. Madison was happily frying up the meat, and since she couldn't hear when it was ready, shead to watch it real careful. But Luda Mae had noticed her eyes wandering to the window, to look out in the field where Hoyt and Tommy were working today. So she figured she'd cut the girl a break... and some more interaction with Tommy.

"Madison dear," she called out of habit, even though she knew Madison couldn't hear her. She took the woman's shoulder and turned her around to face her so she could see. "Why don't you go out and see if Hoyt and Thomas would like something to drink?" she asked while simultaneously signing this for her as all members of the family did. She handed the younger girl a large pitcher of ice water. "Take this out to them. Feel free to pour it over them too, if they'd like."

Madison nodded happily, then signed back that she would be very careful not to get them too wet.

"Aw, don't you worry about that." Luda Mae winked, pushing some bangs out of Madison's face. "Sun'll dry it up soon anyway."

Madison gave a vigorous round of nodding, then ran out the screen door to the fields.

She finally reached where Hoyt and Tommy were working, and then stood in front of them a moment, just grinning. They both looked at each other, then Tommy blew out a puff of air, about a hair away from a stifled laugh, and signed to Madison, asking if she was alright. He also asked if perhaps the heat had gotten to her and shouldn't she be inside?

"Uh-uh, uh-uh," Madison answered in sign language, after putting the pitcher down so her hands were free. "Miss Mae sent me to see if you were thirsty." She picked the jug back up and gestured to it, which was her way of asking if they wanted a drink.

Tommy nodded, looking somewhat relieved, and took it when she offered it to him. He took a big gulp from it, some of it spilling down the front of his shirt. He held it away and handed it to Hoyt, wiping off his mouth rather sheepishly.

Madison giggled and stepped forward, brandishing a handkerchief from her pocket. "Lemme help," she signed, wagging her finger back and forth. That was the general sign when someone was doing something the wrong way or someone wanted to offer help - usually to Tommy, but sometimes to Madison too, since she had trouble with things as well. She stood on her very tiptoes, which still wasn't quite enough to bring her up to Tommy's eye level, and dabbed at his face, soaking up the extra water.

Tommy smiled at her and touched her face, brushing back some hair. "Thanks, Madison."

She leaned in closer, smiling right back at him. "No problem, Tommy."

He leaned down, and had raised his hands up. He was about to say something else in sign language...

... But then the whole damn pitcher of water was dumped over the both of them.

Madison began to scream bloody murder, jumping and running in circles around Tommy. She started shrieking, "Hoy! Hoy!" over and over, probably cussing Hoyt out in her mind. She was also frantically smacking at her back and chest.

When Tommy finally decided to stop staring at her, he grabbed her by the arm and reached a hand up her back. She reached her own hand down the front of her shirt, trying her best to calm down. After a moment they both pulled out several ice cubes, which had been what had made her scream.

"M... M-oh-tha..." Madison muttered, trembling with anger and cold.

Meanwhile Hoyt was laughing like a madman. "You two! You shoulda seen the looks on yer pansy faces!" He pointed at Tommy. "I-I mean, yers is the same as always, Tommy, but hell! Girl, you was yellin' like you was in the basement! Hoo, boy, what a hoot!"

Madison ran forward to just take a swing at him, but Tommy stopped her before she even accomplished anything. He grabbed her wrist first, then wrapped his arms around her waist. She was still kicking as he lifted her up and put her over his shoulder. He shot a look at Hoyt and then started carrying her back to the house.

She punched at his back, her feet digging into his chest as well. "Dahn!" she cried, which was her way of telling him to put her down. If she wasn't being carried she certainly would have been signing all this, but she settled for screaming near unintelligibly at him. "Dahn, Tomma, dahn!"

He grunted, shifting her around. "Uh-uh." Which was the only real English he could speak, which meant no. Under any and all circumstances, if Tommy said no, you didn't argue with him.

Madison went limp over his shoulder, but rubbed his back. "Wa... ware ya ta-ak-an-a m-a?" she mumbled, shoving her hands up the bottom of his shirt and trying to tickle him into letting her down.

Tommy didn't answer, simply making a clicking sound with his tongue. That just meant he really wanted her to be quiet. It was basically his equivalent of Hoyt's "Shut the hell up".

Madison mumbled something nobody would have been able to understand anyway, and leaned farther over Tommy's shoulder. She pressed her lips to the bare skin exposed by the collar of his shirt sagging down, and blew a raspberry. She then sat back to watch his reaction.

Tommy stopped when he was nearly to the door, and groaned in annoyance. If Madison could have seen his face, she'd know he was thoroughly disgusted by her antics. So in response, he reached his free hand over and grabbed her calf, squeezing almost as tight as he could. He wasn't trying to hurt her; he never meant to. He just wanted to discipline her a little... she'd never had any discipline growing up, so sometimes he had to let her know her behavior wasn't acceptable in their household.

Madison began to shriek again, resuming her using his back as a punching bag and his chest as a springboard. "Dahn, dahn, daaaaaaahn!"

Tommy released her leg and used his hip to bump the door open. He had to bend just slightly to get inside, but drew up to his normal height once he was in. He glanced over at Luda Mae, who was giving him the most confused look, probably trying to find the words to ask what the hell was going on with Madison. He simply raised his hand in greeting and continued into the living room.

Luda Mae sighed before beginning to laugh, pressing a hand to her forehead in utter disbelief. "Madison... what is Tommy gonna do with you...?"